U.S. 36 cities balk at new RTD study -- and its price tag

Officials along the U.S. 36 corridor are miffed that their communities are being asked to cover half the cost of a $3.5 million study of the transportation needs of the turnpike.

This, after shelling out millions in tax dollars for a FasTracks commuter-rail system that may never arrive.

"I think most of the corridor members have seen the (request) and think it's like rubbing salt in our wounds," said Boulder County Transportation director George Gerstle.

"I can tell you our Council is not going to authorize $150,000 for this," said Broomfield Mayor Pat Quinn.

But others say the study, led by the Regional Transportation District, is needed, given the new realities along the Boulder Turnpike.

"It's pretty clear the world has changed over the past several months, and having a new, fresh look at this is precisely the right way to go," Boulder County Commissioner Will Toor said.

Over the past seven years, Boulder County has chipped in $93.4 million in taxes and Broomfield County $24.6 million for the FasTracks commuter-rail program.

But FasTracks has been stalled in the north metro area -- including along U.S. 36 -- mainly because the cost to build the rail line using tracks owned by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad jumped in 2011 to $1.7 billion from $894 million.

That means FasTracks may not be built for the northwest corridor until 2044.

RTD officials want to conduct the mobility study this fall to better understand the needs of commuters along the highway.

"We are asking for feedback because we never got any clear consensus from stakeholders what they wanted," said RTD's FasTracks spokeswoman Pauletta Tonilas. "Some people wanted rail, others wants a hybrid system, others wanted bus rapid transit."

"We're looking at this as a partnership," she said. "We know our work is not over yet."

The study will also look at the possibility of adding Longmont to the north metro rail line, which will cut through Adams County, Tonilas said.

Asking communities along the turnpike to pitch in to pay for the study -- which is not funded through FasTracks -- is entirely appropriate, she said.

Toor said those who contribute to the study will have a bigger role in influencing the corridor.

"What matters is that we get a good study done to update assumptions as to what are the best transit options for this part of the region," he said.

But Quinn said much of the information RTD seeks has already been gleaned from early studies of the rail transit on the northwest corridor.

"Addressing these issues is not a difficult thing to do," Quinn said, "and we don't need $3.5 million to do it."